Fungalpedia – Note 267, Palaeocercospora (Fossil Fungi)

 

Palaeocercospora S. Mitra & M. Banerjee.

Citation when using this data: Saxena RK & Hyde KD. 2024 (in prep) – Fungalpedia, Fossil Fungi. 

Index Fungorum, Facesoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank, Fig. 1

Classification: Mycosphaerellaceae, Mycosphaerellales, Dothideomycetes, Ascomycota, Fungi

The monotypic fossil genus, Palaeocercospora, was described by Mitra & Banerjee (2000) from Geabdat Sandstone Formation (Middle Miocene, 16–11.6 mya) exposed along National Highway 31 Road Section, Darjeeling Foothills, Eastern Himalaya, India. The genus is characterized by compact stroma with groups of well-developed hyphal cells. Conidiophores occur singly or in fascicles of 2–7, elongated, divergent, septate, conidial scar present at the point of geniculation. This genus shows affinity with extant Cercospora Fresen. ex Fuckel.

Type species: Palaeocercospora siwalikensis S. Mitra & M. Banerjee 2000

Figure 1 – Palaeocercospora siwalikensis. Scale bar = 20 μm. Redrawn from Mitra & Banerjee (2000).

 

Reference

Mitra S & Banerjee M. 2000 – On the occurrence of epiphyllous deuteromycetous fossil fungi Palaeocercospora siwalikensis gen. et sp. nov. and Palaeocolletotrichum graminioides gen. et sp. nov. from Neogene sediments of Darjeeling Foothills, Eastern Himalaya. Journal of Mycopathological Research 37(2), 7–11.

 

Entry by

Ramesh K. Saxena, Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Lucknow, India

 

(Edited by Kevin D. Hyde, Samaneh Chaharmiri-Dokhaharani, & Achala R. Rathnayaka)

 

Published online 21 May 2024

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